Harrington history

This following story is not about some young school boys, but rather several businessmen in their 40s, family men. William Pugh worked at various service stations while living in Harrington and Fred Urton was the local butcher with Banner Meats, upon whom many a holiday dinner was dependent. Urton was well-known locally for his wild humorous schemes, some less practical than others. The next year he was calmer with his holiday spirit and had a life-size Santa Claus in the window of Banner Meat Co.

“X-mas Rooster Led Urton Chase. William Pugh got 75 cents worth of laughter out of Fred Urton and a rooster just before Christmas. Mr. Pugh happened to have a ‘reserved seat’ in the Electric Service Station just at the psychological moment. Fred hadn’t rehearsed his part very much, only to sell a live rooster, put a piece of wrapping paper around the bird and tie it up with twine, much the same as he would tie up sausage or a roast. This done, he placed the lady’s purchase close to the front door to await her coming again in a short time to transport said bird to her home.

“So far, Mr. Reader, the action has all been behind the curtain, but Mr. Urton will soon appear on the stage (the main business street, minus hat, a little behind time, also considerably behind the rooster, the personified picture of determination). The lady, returning for the main course of her Christmas dinner, opened the door and the Christmas dinner, with its feathers all intact, and in full possession of much vigor, two fleet feet and two wings to assist them, broke his fetters, and, jumping out of his new paper kimono, rushed through the door. What the lady thought, as her Christmas dinner started down the street, we do not know. Neither do we know all that Fred thought, but Fred went out the door nearly as soon as the rooster.

“At this particularly interesting junction, just as the Christmas dinner and Fred were ‘getting away from the mark,’ Wm Pugh appeared, as we have stated. Seeing that a race was on between the home butcher and the rooster, he opened both eyes wide to get the full benefit of the chase and then added a lusty, mirth-provoking laugh that echoed up and down the street as Fred rushed hither and thither playing football with the rooster. Fred made several tackles at the he-chicken, each time thinking he had him, only to realize a second later that all he had was some of the cock’s tail feathers. Of course Fred couldn’t charge for the bird until he could make delivery, and delivery couldn’t be made until he could show more than a few feathers. Thus the interesting race proceeded. No, Fred didn’t stop before entering the arterial highway, nor did he pay any attention to traffic or to the traffic signs. The rooster with three speeds ahead and no reverse, was using all three, assisted by his wings, and Fred was hot in pursuit and hotter in the vicinity of the collar. No matter what signs Fred made with his hands, the rooster, whose first, second and third names were ‘speed’, showed Fred some fine tactics in dodging in and out of alleys, which would stand any footballist in good stead on the field of action.

“Now Fred hated to run into 1930, hatless, coatless and out of breath trying to save a Christmas dinner for 1929, but the way that bird led him around over the North Central highway to the sprinting tune of about 11 flat, he began to think he would have to do it. But Fred was raised on a farm, had cared for sheep some, and once or twice had mistook rabbits for lambs and succeeded in chasing them into the fold, so the rooster had a worthy pursuer. After both had done a marathon in a line about as straight as a corkscrew, Fred got a death grip on the feathered ‘alarm clock’ and used all his waning strength to hold him fast, and soon after appeared breathless with his customer’s purchase. All this time, Wm Pugh, the big audience at Biggart’s Garage, was spilling laughter all through the atmosphere just like a dynamic loud speaker to a radio. In fact, Pugh was ‘on the air’ with a big Ha-Ha! And we’ll bet you couldn’t have bought his reserved seat for a new ten-dollar bill.” (Citizen: 1-03-1930)